Who’s Your Mr. Fix-It?

To be honest, greenhouses mystify me. I don’t know how all of you out there do it. So much can go wrong–disease and pests, nutrition–and that’s just problems with your plants. Your structures are a whole other story. There are so many things to worry about–not enough heat, too much heat, expensive heat, water logistics. And, of course, there are the more extreme worries–debilitating hurricanes, fires and snowstorms. Getting ahead and staying ahead of structures issues is a job in itself, forget about growing great plants.

That’s why we were so impressed when we visited Eagle Creek’s greenhouses in Mantua, Ohio. Siblings John Bonner and Jill Cain gave us the grand tour of the facilities, but Gary Jansen, the facility’s maintenance magician and all-around Mr. Fix-It, really impressed us. The facility has switched its fuel source from petroleum-based products to wood-based products. And the mid-sized operation has two huge indoor pools for collecting water from the operation’s flood floors. Gary installed the pools and the towering wood-burning furnace himself.

The folks at Eagle Creek joked around telling us that during the time Gary took a leave of absence from the company, no renovation or retrofitting took place. Read all about Eagle Creek’s recent transformations in the story by Editor Delilah Onofrey.

Helpful Tips

I’m sure many of you have become Mr. or Ms. Fix-Its yourselves, either out of interest or necessity. Hopefully, something you read in this issue will spark your imagination and give you some ideas for improving your structures. The National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association (NGMA) has some helpful tips on curtain systems, environmental controls, glazings, ventilation and cooling on its Web site, www.ngma.com/downloads.htm. For a sample,. There are also some changes happening at NGMA. Check out the story by Senior Staff Writer Laura Drotleff.

Structures are where the magic happens. And we hope some of the products and stories in this issue help make your operation even more magical.

What will be the next big perennial? Breeders say it takes more than a splashy plant to distinguish itself in the market. Therefore, the question is not what will be the next big perennial, but rather what perennial performs well enough in the garden to have staying power in the market for years to come.

The industry's goal is to have loyal customers who return to the same plants time and time again, not because of price, but owing to a plant brand that shouts top-notch garden performance and is synonymous with excellence, which gives them the secure knowledge that their investment will be worth every hard-earned cent.

Two projects Rough Brothers worked on for Altman plants in Giddings, Texas, and Scissortail Farms in Tulsa County, Okla., show that pre-planning on the grower's part opens the way for a smooth-running expansion project.

Well-suited greenhouses that function efficiently for customers arise from involving them in the design process from start to finish. Stuppy Greenhouse Manufacturing put this philosophy on a greenhouse design for a wholesale grower looking to expand his annuals operation. The grower's needs were simple, yet daunting: design a greenhouse that delivers the perfect growing environment, but keep maintenance and operating costs low.

Are you aware stricter energy codes may be on the horizon that will certainly impact your business in a big way? Here's a Q & A from the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association that helps explain the dangers of the coming energy codes and what we as an industry can do to prevent them.

Whether you’re replacing an existing greenhouse covering or building a new greenhouse, it’s a significant investment, so you need to make sure you have the right type of covering to suit your needs and budget. What’s more, with production costs on the rise, you can’t afford to have anything less than a durable, high-quality covering that is energy efficient. To make a smart purchase, do your homework before you buy. A good place to start is by answering the following questions, which will help you separate the good products from the mediocre ones.

You’re likely to see more construction work going on in the greenhouse industry in 2015, according to Greenhouse Grower’s 2015 State of the Industry survey. Responses show growers have high hopes for the future, which may be one reason why more of them are looking to spruce up their facilities.

Emerald Coast Growers has expanded with the addition of 25,344 square feet at their Milton, Fla., facility. The construction is in response to increased demand for their products, and will primarily be used for ornamental grass production.

Is our industry really improving or does it just look that way? With growth in the past two years among Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 Growers and the housing market on the upswing, the economy certainly is showing signs of life.

During every busy shipping season you invariably run into issues that would have been eliminated had a little spring cleaning taken place. Here are a few points you may want to consider before spring shipping rolls around:

The breeder is constructing almost nine acres of state-of-the-art greenhouses near Barbarena, Guatemala, to bring its stock farm closer to the U.S. market. The first phase of construction was complete in February 2014.